The Poor Man Institute

Found on the Facebook. I don’t know how I found it, or if I am allowed to post it, because I never know what’s going on there. I keep getting asked by mysterious spirits to start a Mafia Farm.

I don’t have much to add to this:

[C]onsider why the United States, China, and Russia–or any other country for that matter–should fear nuclear proliferation. Of course, there are the concerns of accidental nuclear detonation, nuclear terrorism, or even nuclear war. But these are all extremely low probability events. The primary threat of nuclear proliferation is that it constrains the freedom of powerful states to use or threaten to use force abroad. [...]

Some analysts argue that we shouldn’t worry about proliferation in Iran because nuclear deterrence will work, much like it worked during the Cold War. But from Washington’s point of view, this is precisely the problem; it is more often than not the United States that will be deterred. Although Washington might not have immediate plans to use force in the Middle East, it would like to keep the option open.

Of course, as time goes to infinity even “low probability events” become inevitable. So there is also that.  But even leaving that aside, the smart move for the US – for the world – in trying to stop proliferation would be to try to make nuclear weapons less important in international relations.  Reduce our own stockpiles, for example.  Maybe allow Brazil, or some other non-nuclear country, a place on the UN Security Council.  Stop bombing fools so they don’t feel such a strong need to deter you.  Stuff like that, but especially the first one.  Because while I don’t like the idea of North Korea and now Iran having a few rudimentary A-bombs, I’m not sure I like the idea of Ayatollah Starbursts getting her grubby mitts on a few thousand megatons of nukes, and the ability to deliver them anywhere on Earth in 30 minutes, any better.  You betcha.

Via Sully the Pooh, a profound bit of Greenwaldian reasoning that I somehow missed:

[W]ouldn’t it be preferable to at least require the President to demonstrate to a court that probable cause exists to warrant the assassination of an American citizen before the President should be allowed to order it? That would basically mean that courts would issue “assassination warrants” or “murder warrants” — a repugnant idea given that they’re tantamount to imposing the death sentence without a trial — but isn’t that minimal safeguard preferable to allowing the President unchecked authority to do it on his own, the very power he has now claimed for himself? [sic]

Yeah, I don’t know.  How about this:

I think mine -while repugnant – has some obvious advantages, especially with regard to Mr. Situation. But, you know, I’m easy. We should take our time. The important thing about codifying laws for the New Kind of War is that you really want to be as comfortable as possible with them, because we are going to have to live with them forever. I mean, unless New Kind of War somehow somehow gets superceded by an even Newer, even more Totally Badass and Unprecedented and Extreme Kind of War – a Nü Wär, if you will – in which case I guess we’ll have to scrap everything and start over … oh, wait, what am I even talking about?  What am I thinking? You can’t just break The Law, silly!

What am I saying is that this – like the question of whether or not we are more humane than the Spanish Inquisition – is real, real, real interesting, on a certain level, but mostly just a sign of how we’ve come to accept the War On Terror as an immutable fact of life.  We’ve accepted that it’s the sort of thing that happens to Other People, but not nice Americans. We’ve made our Peace with it, if you will.  Hmm.  Making Peace … with War.  Nope, I don’t see any way this could go wrong.  Kind of amazing nobody thought of this before.

So, apparently, Megan McCain is fat is the new Michael Moore is fat, which itself was an evolution of Al Gore is fat.  Not to be confused with the Hillary Clinton has fat cankles theorem.

Which leaves me in that familiar pose: head tilted, gazing plaintively upward, struggling with that age-old conundrum, “Why are liberals so damn condescending all the time?”  And, as a follow up, “Isn’t there someone at that non-partisan AEI that can answer this question – preferably in one of those MSM communist liberal fascist rags?”

By working our network of highly-placed sources in DC Republican circles (thanks, Kandy! You deserve all the bills that fit in that garter.) we’ve been able to acquire a copy of Mitch McConnell’s secret GOP talking points on the upcoming health care summit. We’ve reprinted them below.

CONDFIDENTIAL — NOT FOR RELEASE TO PRESS — CONFIDENTIAL
From the Desk of Mitch McConnell
Subject: Health Care Summit

Yo, my brahs. I’ve put together some notes for us all so we can stay on message as we prepare to participate constructively in the president’s health care summit…. ahahahaha. No, I can’t even do it. I really can’t. Anyhow, I put together some talking points, but before I get to them, one unrelated note: I want to thank Rep. Vitter for his excellent selection last movie night — I think I speak for everyone in saying I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell was a really touching, powerful movie — but I do want to make sure we’re all on the same page: we do NOT need the press reporting that anybody cried at the ending. Let’s keep that out of the papers.

Anyhow, I know that Obama’s proposed health care summit has a lot of you nervous. Obviously our last open Q&A was a huge mistake, and it’s not one we’re likely to repeat. However, the press has shown a bit of unexpected spine as far as that goes, and we need to be able to explain our principled refusal to participate. So:

1. We will gladly participate in the health care summit, but only if the President, in a show of good faith, is willing to resign the Presidency and allow Scott Brown’s truck to be sworn in.

2. We believe — in this interest of a fair airing of views — that it is vital that every nutjob with a confederate flag t-shirt who has ever attended a tea party rally be invited to bring their guns to the summit.

3. While we support the goal of expanding access to health care for hard-working Americans, we are deeply skeptical of the idea of allowing people with pre-existing conditions to get health care, as they are likely to develop into a race of perfectly healthy superpredators capable of eviscerating regular Americans with one swipe of their razor sharp claws.

4. We demand that the health care bill be translated from the Swahili it is currently written in.

5. We will gladly participate in the health care summit if every individual member of the Republican caucus, plus a reasonable selection of senior staff, is given one million dollars and a monster truck.

6. It is with regret that we must point out that Obama likes poop, smells like poop, and probably eats his own poop.

7. We wanted to pass healthcare, but it’s too snowy.

I think these points should effectively make our case. I’ve spoken to the New York Times, and they’ll have Nagourney put together a 15,000 word news analysis making our case by this afternoon. See you all next movie night — Faces of Death is an old favorite, so I’m really looking forward to it.

Both Steve Clemons and Jane Mayer look at some failures of Obama’s first year, both policy and political, and can report based on multiple, highly-placed sources, that Rahm Emanuel sucks. Good to know.

Rahm Emanuel may well suck, but laying the blame for the disaster that health care reform has become, and the relentless back-tracking on civil liberties, and the overall decline in political fortunes that this White House has presided over on his shoulders is not that useful. Obama is the guy in charge. Obama doesn’t have to keep him around, he doesn’t have to listen to his advice, he doesn’t have to let him do anything but exactly what the President wants. The White House is a black box – it’s not important how it works, only if it works. And it doesn’t.

Jane Mayer quotes AG Eric Holder:

This is something that can get a rise out of me, the notion that somehow Eric Holder and Barack Obama, this Administration, is not tough. We have the welfare of the American people in our minds all the time. We’ll fight our enemies, and we’ll do that which is necessary, and we won’t turn our backs on the values and traditions that have made this country great. That is what is tough.

This comes after twenty paragraphs detailing – in touching detail – how the White House spent all year scratching Lindsey Graham’s tummy, at the end of which, predictably, he shit all over the Oval Office rug. And then a bunch of Democrats shit all over that shit pile. And then nothing happened. It’s the hard-bitten story of how a man with a girl dog’s name punked the White House, and how Obama’s supposed allies ditched him because, really, why not?, and I’m sure America’s enemies now know the type of tough, take-no-prisoners badasses they are dealing with. Shit’s gettin’ real, Osama. Shit just got REAL.

Also, I’d like to take this moment to remember Joe Biden, who tragically died a few months ago. I can’t remember just when or how he died, but I’ve really noticed his absence these past few months. It’s real tragic.

I thought it was quite good.

Obama is nothing without a teleprompter, other than when he’s waxing the floor with top GOP lawmakers in a little unscripted Q & A slaughterfest.  But he is part African, which means he’s dumb.  Get it.

Sarah Palin, on the other hand, well, obviously, white people don’t need no teleprompters.  Even for scripited Q & A fluff fests. 

Fear the Dumbpocalypse.

Tin Machine?  Really?

No, I won’t get over it.

I don’t see any way this thing is over in 36 months:

So, as foretold in the ancient prophecy, your next Leader:

I made it all the way to the 1:02 mark before I just couldn’t take it.  Making it to the 4,207,590:09 mark may be slightly more difficult.  If anyone can get me some illegal needle drugs, I will be in the dark alley behind the Hot Dog Hut.  I will be the guy huffing paint – Dutch Boy, “Coral Bliss”.  I will know you because you will know the secret password.  The secret password is I am here to sell illegal needle drugs.  This could be the start of a beautiful relationship.